The Bright Side of The Dark Side

The truth is I don’t think of myself as negative or pessimistic. I believe I’m a realist, which to me means not expecting terribly much from people, not expecting them to be selfless, empathic, actively supportive of those outside their immediate orbits, not expecting them to be actively supportive of, well, for instance, me.

It isn’t that I think people are horrible (though I do think some people are pretty horrible and would happily name them); I simply recognize that most of us are busy, distracted, and “selfish” in the ways that we all need to be to care for our families and ourselves.

Consequently, when someone behaves in a way that demonstrates a sincere interest in or concern for someone else, someone not part of their family, someone who is not in a position to return the deed, well, for instance, me, I am surprised, touched, and encouraged.

For instance:

When a reckless and profoundly hostile driver caused me to crash my bicycle and I underwent spinal surgery that left me severely disabled for a long time, a group of parents I knew from my son’s school playground organized a regular menu of homemade food for us and provided transportation for my son to and from school. These people gave freely and unselfishly all of that and so much more.

I am equally affected, and always surprised by those who, for reasons I can’t even imagine, believe in me and act on that belief, those who take some sort of personal risk based on that faith.

Examples:

When my publisher trusted me to make editorial choices for my novel because she believed in me, I was filled with a level of joy and appreciation I might not have known had I expected that trust. And when my friend Stanton Du Toit offered me the use of Tolani for my launch party (and wine and food to make the occasion more festive and appealing), I was touched in a way that someone with a more positive view of human nature might not have been.

My response to these acts of generosity, concern, confidence, loyalty, and faith has been so great that I may never fully recover my “cynical” mindset. But I’ll try. Without it, this would all be as unremarkable as a dishonest politician, a Florida shooting, or another snowstorm.

Ways of Leaving

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Grant Jarrett

Chase Stoller is a beautifully mangled all-American mess. Jarrett’s ability to paint a picture of the tedium of small town America, and then to drop a character into this (Hannah) that’s right out of a Wyeth painting, well that sealed the deal for me. With pitch perfect dialogue and writing that felt like a perfect Indian summer day, "Ways Of Leaving" was that rare book that when I read the last word on the last page…I went back to page 1 and read it all over again.

Paul Hoppe, author of "The Curse of Van Gogh"

Grant Jarrett

Chase Stoller is a beautifully mangled all-American mess. Jarrett’s ability to paint a picture of the tedium of small town America, and then to drop a character into this (Hannah) that’s right out of a Wyeth painting, well that sealed the deal for me. With pitch perfect dialogue and writing that felt like a perfect Indian summer day, "Ways Of Leaving" was that rare book that when I read the last word on the last page…I went back to page 1 and read it all over again.

Paul Hoppe, author of "The Curse of Van Gogh"

Grant Jarrett

It’s official: Grant Jarrett has created the most entertaining, existential anti-hero since Tony Soprano. Whether you’re laughing out loud or wincing in recognition, "Ways of Leaving" will impress you with its raw honesty, keen writing, and ultimately, its big heart.

Grant Jarrett's vividly-drawn characters, dark humor and empathetic voice build bridges that transport the reader through this inter-generational story of parents and siblings in which the desire for salvation is challenged by the equally powerful impulse for destruction. "Ways of Leaving" depicts a seemingly familiar world that becomes freshly discovered and understood in Jarrett's intricate telling.

[Ways of Leaving] is a tour de force by a highly skilled author who has had the integrity and skill to examine the human condition for what it is and yet still rejoice about it.

Seannachie

Amazon.co.uk

Grant Jarrett

A first-rate, deeply insightful, moving and painfully honest examination of human life which is also excruciatingly funny...

Seannachie

Amazon.co.uk

Grant Jarrett

It is the final scene that will literally take your breath away.

Barbara

Web

Grant Jarrett

... an outstanding and devastating new novel ...

Independent Publisher

Grant Jarrett

... as heartbreaking as anything you will read in a novel this year.

Independent Publisher

Grant Jarrett

... a master class of fiction writing ...

Independent Publisher

Grant Jarrett

"Acts of searing violence transform vulnerable lives in Grant Jarrett’s The Half-Life of Remorse. Through the anguished accounts of survivors who nearly died in that night of violence, and the delusions of one of the survivors who imagines himself capable of magic, Jarrett creates echoes of The Tempest and The Winter’s Tale. This resonant novel traces the lingering effects of trauma and exposes the greatest challenge for its primary characters: self-forgiveness."

Lee Upton, author of The Tao of Humiliation

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About Grant

The fourth of five sons, I was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania to two emotionally scarred, terminally incompatible parents. From the moment we could say ouch...More